


If you want the rainbow you got to put up with the rain

by Trufreak89



Category: Wynonna Earp (TV)
Genre: EFA Fic Challenge 2018, F/F, Power Outage, Pre-Relationship, Sharing a Bed, Thunderstorms, early season 1, prompt: rain
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-05-15
Updated: 2018-05-15
Packaged: 2019-05-07 14:39:29
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,371
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14673222
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Trufreak89/pseuds/Trufreak89
Summary: A storm washes through Purgatory, flooding the main road in and out of town. Nicole is stuck sleeping at the station, until she visits Shorty's after closing and gets a better offer.





	If you want the rainbow you got to put up with the rain

_  
_ The rain started early in the afternoon and continued on late into the night. A light trickle quickly became a downpour as the clouds gathered and the heavens opened up. A storm had rolled into Purgatory and it looked like it would be spending the night.  
  
Shorty’s was practically deserted already come closing time, so it didn’t take long for Waverly to kick out the last few stragglers. She set about clearing the tables and wiping down the bar, hoping to get to bed at a reasonable hour. With the rain coming down so hard she had decided earlier in the night she would just stay over at the bar.  
  
The jukebox was still playing. Waverly hummed along to the tune, swaying her hips to the music as she swept the floor. The youngest Earp had no idea she was being watched as she danced around the broom in a circle.  
  
“Mind if I cut in?” Waverly jumped as she heard a voice from behind her. She spun around and found Nicole Haught casually leaning against the wooden frame of the inside door. She was soaked from head to toe. Rainwater was dripping from the brim of her Stetson, pooling on the floor at her feet.  
  
“Nicole, you scared me!” Waverly pressed an open hand to her chest. She was still holding the broom with the other.  
“Sorry about that.” The sheriff’s deputy apologized. She removed her hat, placing it down on the nearest table.  
  
Nicole’s usual, functional, braid had worn loose through the evening and she had eventually pulled it out altogether. Strands of wet hair were sticking to the side of her face. She looked like a half-drowned rat, yet somehow she still managed to look striking to Waverly.  
  
Briskly brushing aside such thoughts, Waverly reached for a clean towel from behind the bar. She tossed it at Nicole, who caught it with a grateful nod. She wiped her face and then started toweling down her hair. “Thanks. It’s crazy out there.”  
  
“Did you want a drink? We’re closed, but I’m sure I could make an exception for Purgatory’s finest.” Waverly offered. She had wanted to finish cleaning up and leave for the homestead as quickly as she could, but the least she could do was offer Nicole a drink.  
  
“Actually, I came over to see if I could borrow a can of soup.” Nicole sheepishly rubbed the back of her neck as she answered. “I pulled a double today and missed dinner. All the station has to offer is stale doughnuts and the junk in the vending machine.”  
  
“Oh. Sure. I can find you something… Is your shift finished? Are you heading home?” Asked Waverly. She wasn’t sure why Nicole was over at the bar begging for soup when she could have just gone home for something to eat.  
  
Maybe it was just an excuse to come by and check on her. Nicole had been her rock in the weeks since Shorty had died. Waverly had never said it out loud, but she was actually grateful for the other woman’s fussing.  
  
“Yes and no. My shift finished ten minutes ago, but the main road out of town is washed out. There’s no way I can make it home tonight, so I’m staying at the station.”  
“The station?” Waverly was taken aback at the idea of Nicole spending the night at the police station.  
  
Purgatory was a small town, with a small police force to match. Unlike the big city stations, they didn’t have a dorm room for the deputies on call during the night. Nicole was either going to have to sleep at her desk or in one of the cells.  
  
“I’ve done it a couple of times before.” Nicole shrugged. More than once she’d stayed well past the end of her shift reading through some of the stranger cases in the police archives. More than one of them had involved an Earp or two.  
  
Nicole could rough it at the station for the night, but not on an empty stomach. Her stomach growled in frustration, reminding them both why she was there. “Grab a seat. I’ll make you something.”  
“Oh, you really don’t have-” Nicole started, but Waverly ignored her and ducked under the bar. She disappeared into the kitchen before Nicole could finish protesting.  
  
The deputy did as she was told and took a seat on one of the stools at the bar. She peeled off her jacket and draped it over the stool beside her to dry off. The heavy rainfall had soaked right through to her shirt, leaving wet patches around her collar and down her front.  
  
Nicole ran her fingers through her damp hair, teasing out the kinks from wearing it up all day and brushing it back from her face. She could have been back at home in her cozy little house, tucked up in bed with a good book and Calamity Jane curled up beside her; but no, she’d had to volunteer for that extra shift.  
  
Nicole was generally feeling sorry for herself as she sat slumped over at the bar. Her mood soon picked up again as Waverly came walking out of the kitchen. She was carrying a tray and set it down on the bar in front of Nicole. Her eyes lit up at the sight of the hot bowl of tomato soup, accompanied by a grilled cheese sandwich. It was the perfect rainy day meal.  
  
“This is great. Thanks, Waves. How much do I-”  
“On the house.” Said Waverly. She popped the cap off a bottle of beer and handed it over. She did the same with a second and kept it beside her.  
  
“Thanks,” Nicole repeated. She was too hungry to feel self-conscious about devouring the meal while the younger woman watched. She had skipped lunch and the thought of a bag of chips and a candy bar for dinner had been entirely unappealing.  
  
By the time Nicole had finished eating, Waverly had opened her another beer. The deputy finished off what was left in the first bottle in one long gulp. A lot of things could be said about the Earp women – and often were – but that they couldn’t handle their liquor wasn’t one of them.  
  
Nicole wasn’t much of a drinker. She was already feeling the buzz from the first beer. Warm and dry, with a full stomach and in excellent company, Nicole felt completely at ease. It was strange how much Purgatory already felt more like home than her actual childhood home ever had. “What is it?” Waverly suddenly asked, making Nicole realize she must have been staring.  
  
“Nothing.” Nicole blushed. She ducked her head and took a sip of her beer. If she had thought that would be enough to distract the other woman, then she was painfully disappointed.  
  
“C’mon. What?” Waverly prodded. She was leaning forward on the bar, propped up on her elbows and giving Nicole an all too enticing view. She licked her suddenly parched lips and glanced away again. “You looked like you were a million miles away.”  
  
Nicole shook her head and finally met Waverly’s curious gaze. “I’m right here… nowhere else in the world I’d rather be.” The stark answer caught Waverly off guard. It was her turn to blush and look away. She grabbed her beer from the bar and took a drink, her lips forming a small smile as they wrapped around the neck of the bottle.  
  
“Really? Out of anywhere in the world? You could be on a sunny beach somewhere… but you’d still choose Purgatory?” Waverly asked, a teasing lilt to her tone. She was trying to play it off as a joke, but part of her wanted to know if Nicole was being serious.  
  
“Yes.” She said. She sounded confident in her answer. “As long as you were here.” Nicole stared Waverly down, refusing to be the first to look away as the tension between them rose. Waverly bit down on her lip. Breaking their deadlock, she glanced at the door. Her tongue darted out over her lips. Her mouth opened. She was about to say something and then-  
  
Everything went black.  
  
The bar was left in total darkness as a blackout hit the storm-beaten town. It wasn’t just the bar. All of the street lights were out. The whole town had been swallowed up by the night. “Nicole?” Waverly let out a desperate cry, like something more tangible than the storm had caused the blackout.  
  
She groped blindly across the bar, seeking out the other woman in the dark. Her hand found Nicole’s arm just as the deputy pulled her flashlight from the holster on her belt and flicked it on. Waverly was instantly lit up in an orange glow.  
  
Nicole lowered the beam a bit to avoid blinding her. “It’s okay. It’s just a power cut.” She wanted to ask what had Waverly so spooked – why the dark frightened her so much – but she had been in Purgatory long enough to know that the Earp’s didn’t exactly take giving up their secrets lightly.  
  
“Looks like it’s hit the whole town.” She kept the light on Waverly as she glanced over at the windows. A pervasive darkness clung to the window panels, reflecting the soft glow of Nicole’s torch back at them like the rest of the world had been swallowed whole.  
  
Nicole wasn’t easily spooked, but the lack of light and the grumble of thunder overhead had her shivering. It was getting late and the temperature inside was starting to drop thanks to the lack of power and the miserable weather outside. Turning her attention back to Waverly, she asked, “Do you have a generator?”  
  
The youngest Earp shook her head. “It blew last winter… Uncle Curtis never got around to fixing it.” Waverly’s uncle had died shortly after Nicole had first arrived in town. She had never met him, but she had heard good things about Mr. McCready. The niece he had raised was testament enough to the man.  
  
“I could take a look? Or we could head over to the station? Their generator should be up.”  
“Power or no power, I am not spending the night at the station. And neither are you.” Waverly rolled her eyes. “Come on, I’ve got an idea.”  
  
Taking hold of Nicole’s hand she led her to the bar and through the door to the back stairs. Nicole was more than happy to follow her without question. She held the flashlight in her other hand, lighting their way as they went up to the apartment above the bar.  
  
“Um, Waves, why is there buckshot stuck in the wall above your bed?”  
“Long story.” Waverly let out a strained laugh. She picked up a pile of folded laundry from the bed and moved it aside to the dresser. “...It involves Champ.”  
  
“Say no more. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve been holding a shotgun and I’ve thought, ‘Hey, where’s Champ Hardy?’” Nicole smirked, drawing an amused smile from the other woman.  
“Nic.” She rolled her eyes, but her scolding was half-hearted at best.  
  
Laving Nicole sitting on the edge of her bed, Waverly took a box of matches out of the top drawer of her dresser and set about lighting the various candles she had placed around her bedroom. Soon, the room was bathed in the soft, warm, glow of candlelight.  
  
“As a volunteer firefighter, I feel like I should point out the obvious fire hazard here.” Nicole switched off her torch and set it aside on the bed beside her. She barely stifled a yawn. With a full stomach and the room quickly warming up, the exhaustion of such a long day was finally catching up to her.  
  
“Let me guess, you were a girl scout too?” Waverly teased. She got her answer as Nicole held up her right hand with three fingers held up and her thumb and little finger touching.  
  
“ _I will do my best, to be honest, and fair, friendly and helpful, considerate and caring, courageous and-_ ”  
  
She let out a yelp of laughter as Waverly threw a cushion at her. It sailed harmlessly past her head, landing with a soft thud on the other side of the room. “I was also captain of my softball team if you want some pointers on-”  
  
Waverly cut her off as she picked up the flashlight and pointed it directly at her. With Nicole sitting down, Waverly towered over her for once. “Don’t make me get my shotgun, Deputy.”  
  
Nicole held her hands up in mock surrender, a playful expression on her face. “You know it’s a crime to threaten an officer of the law. Also, that’s police property.”  
“I need it.” Said Waverly, indifferently. She switched on the beam and walked out without a word of explanation.  
  
Left alone, Nicole took the time to glance around the room. The eclectic color scheme and abundance of cushions and candles screamed Waverly Earp. There were pictures of Waverly and her friends stuck to the mirror of her dressing table. There were a few of her and Champ, as well as one or two of a much younger Waverly and Wynonna.  
  
Waverly was gone for a good ten minutes. Nicole eventually grew bored of waiting and sat back down on the bed. She flopped back, deciding it wouldn’t hurt to close her eyes for a few minutes. The rain outside was still falling thick and fast. The rumble of thunder had moved further away, but Nicole could still hear the heavy patter of the rain hitting the roof overhead.  
  
The sound was soothing, and Waverly’s sweet scent clinging to the sheets below her was just as comforting. Nicole was really struggling not to drift off to sleep as she waited for her to return. After what seemed like forever, Waverly finally walked back through the door.  
  
She had Nicole’s flashlight gripped between her teeth, while her arms were full of firewood and tinder. A plastic bag was clutched in her left hand. Her knuckles were turning white from the effort of holding on to it. She let it drop just beside the bed before moving over to the old fireplace in the corner of the room. The firewood in her arms dropped to the floor with a thunderous clatter, making Nicole jump.  
  
She sat up, blinking away the sleep in her eyes as she took in the sight of Waverly hunched over by the fireplace. “Oh good. More fire.” Waverly chose to ignore her. Within a few minutes she had a small fire going and the room was warming up. She reached for the plastic bag she had dropped by the bed.  
  
“If you don’t approve, you won’t want any of these then?” She asked coyly, making a show of rustling the packet as she opened it. Nicole’s curiosity was piqued. She got up from the bed and moved to sit down on the floor next to Waverly in front of the fire.  
“Marshmallows?”  
  
“Toasted marshmallows,” Waverly answered with a grin. She held out two wooden skewers, which she had taken from the kitchen. Nicole took a couple of marshmallows and impaled them on each.  
“Okay, I admit it. This is worth the risk.”  
  
Waverly wore a smug look as she knocked her shoulder against Nicole’s. It was a sudden reminder of just how close they were sat together. Nicole felt a warmth in the pit of her stomach that had nothing to do with the hot, gooey, bite of marshmallow she had just swallowed. What had started out as a pretty crappy night had definitely taken a turn for the better.  
  
The two women sat side by side, crossed leg and thighs touching, roasting marshmallows until most of the bag was gone. They talked about nothing much. Nicole knew better than to bring up Shorty, or any of the weird stuff that often happened in Purgatory. She tried to sound casual as she asked about Champ.  
  
She knew Waverly had finally broken up with the boy-man she had been dating when Nicole had first arrived in town. Waverly didn’t give much in the way of an answer. She shrugged and said something about not wanting to settle before she changed the topic.  
  
The fire was smoldering by the time Nicole let out a loud yawn. Waverly, whose head had been resting on the other woman’s shoulder, jumped. Nicole said, “It’s late… or early, depending on how you look at it. I should get going.”  
“You’re not sleeping at the station. Just stay here.” Waverly stretched out before standing up and offering her hand to help Nicole up.  
  
She hesitated. Looking around the room there was only the bed or the floor to sleep on. Sensing her unease, Waverly added, “We can share the bed. Unless you’d rather go and sleep at your desk than sleep with me?” Sleeping with Waverly Earp was pretty high up on Nicole’s to do list, though the circumstances weren’t exactly what she had pictured.  
  
“Of course not.” Nicole let out the breath she hadn’t realized she’d been holding in as Waverly let out a laugh. She was teasing her again. As if her very presence wasn’t enough of a tease to her already.  
“Here. You can wear this.” Waverly reached up on her tiptoes to the top of her wardrobe and pulled out a man’s grey t-shirt.  
  
Nicole was ready to politely decline - thinking it belonged to Champ - when she spotted a familiar blue logo on it. The words ‘Purgatory Police Department’ were printed on the front in big bold lettering, accompanied by the sheriff department’s crest. Nicole had one just like it, though considerably smaller and less worn. “It was my Dad’s,” Waverly answered the question that Nicole hadn’t actually asked.  
  
She went to go change in the bathroom, leaving Nicole to quickly strip off her uniform and pull on the oversized shirt instead. Waverly returned, wearing possibly the shortest bed shorts Nicole had ever seen and a tank top. The abundance of smooth, sun-kissed skin suddenly on display had Nicole blushing and looking away.  
  
It wasn’t like she hadn’t ever seen the other woman in anything so revealing. Her _Shorty’s_ work shirt and cut off denim shorts left little to the imagination. It was just that Nicole had never seen her in so little in such an intimate setting. They were all alone and about to share a bed for the night. Nicole’s palms were sweating.  
  
Waverly pulled back the covers of one side of the bed and climbed in. She looked over expectantly as Nicole stood rooted to the spot. “Are you going to just stand there all night, or are you getting in?”  
“No. I mean yes. I...” Nicole was grateful that Waverly had extinguished most of the candles before climbing into bed. Her cheeks were burning with embarrassment as she slid under the covers.  
  
Waverly was lying on her side, facing away from Nicole. She mumbled a ‘goodnight’ and Nicole said it back. She was completely stiff, lying on her back and staring up at the ceiling. Her body felt exhausted, but her mind was racing. It refused to switch off and let her sleep.  
  
It didn’t help that Waverly was a restless sleeper. She regularly tossed and turned throughout the night. An elbow brushing at her side, a foot rubbing up against her leg. It was tantamount to torture – A painful reminder of nights spent sharing a bed with her straight best friend as a frightened and confused teenager.  
  
The only difference was Nicole was pretty sure Waverly Earp wasn’t all that straight. Whether she was ready to face that yet was another thing altogether. One thing was for certain though, Nicole could wait.  
  


* * *

  
  
In the early hours of the morning, after a few restless hours of sleep, Nicole Haught was lying on her side. Cuddled into her was a still sleeping Waverly. The rain had finally stopped and the morning light was shining through the open curtains.  
  
Nicole had another shift starting in an hour, but she was in no hurry to go anywhere. She would check the weather forecast on her phone later, hoping for another night of rain.


End file.
